Court Sentenced Five People To 50 Years In Prison For Crimes Against Migrants

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) A trial court in the province of Darien sentenced five people to 50 years in prison for the crimes of homicide against a 6-year-old minor who was traveling with a group of migrants and who was attacked to rob him while he was traveling along a trail on September 26, 2022. Among those convicted are Misael Domico Bailarín, Ezequiel Bailarín, Aristarco Valdespino, Eduel Bailarín Jomi and Eliecer Bailarín Domico who were arrested shortly after the incident. The court imposed a sentence of 20 years in prison for the crime of aggravated intentional homicide, another 18 years in prison for the crime of attempted homicide against two migrants, and 12 years in prison for the crime of aggravated robbery.

According to investigations carried out by the Public Prosecutor's Office, the five defendants ambushed a group of migrants who were traveling along a trail in the Dos Bocas sector, Lajas Blancas district, Cémaco district, Darién province, on September 20, 2022. During the assault, the five suspects opened fire on the migrants, fatally wounding a six-year-old boy who was travelling with his parents. The attackers also fired shots at the minor's parents, who were injured and had to be assisted by security officials present in the region. This year, some 300,500 migrants have managed to cross the Darien jungle, of which 20% are children and adolescents who sometimes travel unaccompanied. Authorities have stepped up surveillance in the Darien jungle to assist and channel migrants entering the country, most of whom come from Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia. It is estimated that by 2024, some 25 migrants will have lost their lives trying to cross the Darien jungle to the United States.

MENAFN22122024000218011062ID1109021553